Berry Bat Amphora Vase

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Paul Dachsel
Berry Bat Amphora Vase
ca 1900

About the Item

NOCTURNAL RISING BAT VASE by AMPHORA, Model #668, c. 1900, in porcelain with applied detailing of bats, fruiting stalks and lilies interpreted as opium poppies, the vase has an iridescent pink underglaze that is enhanced with gold paint and a hand-painted moonlit treed landscape in celadon, olive and moss greens accented by umber and aqua marine; the long neck joins the body of the vase in a gently swelling gourd shape which terminates on a slightly tapered round base; marked on the base with manufacturer’s red stamp showing “Turn.Teplitz Bohemia/.R St K.” around a central amphora vase and below “made in Au(stria)”, imprinted in clay with the firm’s mark encased in an oval: “AMPHORA” with style number: “8761” and decorator’s mark: “52”; measuring: 221/2” H x 9” at its widest point. Made during Amphora’s high point in the creation of decorative porcelain under lead designer, Paul Dachsel, and the firm’s founders, Riessner, Stellmacher and Kessel, this vase exemplifies Amphora’s stunning detailing and masterful porcelain overlay work. The ethereal Symbolist painting on this particular vase is what sets it apart from others using this same form in the Amphora line which are simply matte or monochromatic with gilded highlights. The poetic painting and Romantic narrative are what place this singular vase into a category all its own. The artist of this magnificent vase channels Classical Greek Mythology as a vehicle to convey the idea that divine communication to mortals is possible in an altered state. In the Greek pantheon, the goddess, Nyx, is the personification of Night whose attribute is the bat. She resides in the Underworld with her family in a cave whose entrance is marked by poppies. Her son, Hypnos, the personification of Sleep, is often associated with the color white and the poppy. Indeed, it is Morpheus, one of his sons, who shapes and forms Dreams through which he can appear to mortals in any form. In this manner, Morpheus acts as a messenger for the gods to mortals. There are many striking aspects to this vase achieved by the singular approach of the painter’s imaginative vision. Certainly, the viewer’s attention is first drawn to the mass of bats crowning the top of the vase. Bats are nocturnal by nature. They wake at dusk to feed. The fruit bat is responsible for pollination by eating nectar from flowers and fruit and spitting out the seeds. Their consumption leads to proliferation. The only mammal capable of true flight, the bat’s wings have multiple joints which allows for a versatility of movement. Unlike the more rigid wings of birds and insects, the bat is able to move up and down as well as back and forth. The ceramist gives emphasis to these articulations in the ribbing of their outstretched wings. By depicting the bats in a cluster which is common behavior in their habitat, the artist lends a further naturalistic note. Their swarm at the top of the vase also achieves the effect of trompe l’oeil. The porcelain overlay painted in gold takes on the appearance of burnished metal. This trick of the eye adds another dimension to the vase’s theme of an altered state of consciousness; only in this case, it is the painter from Amphora’s workshop who induces this. In fact, careful attention should be paid to the transformative nature of the sculptural lilies into painted opium poppies. Working from a form created in Amphora’s workshop whose interpretation is typically reflective of a Japoniste aesthetic with lily pads and stalks encircling a gourd, the painter of this totally unique vase has created a radically different narrative. With breathtaking subtlety, this painter veils the entire vase in an iridescent pink underglaze. The softness is like an opiate moving the viewer into the watery depths of the dream state. The light is soft. Dusky moonlight plays off the lily pads, and they take on the suggestion of white opium poppies. The artist’s skill in sculpting the graceful stems which project from the vase and curve close to the poppies is at last equaled by the exquisite hand-painted landscape. A moody forest, the dappled Impressionistic brush marks evoke sparse foliage on the tall tree silhouettes. The moonlit poppies and their tendrils wrap and wind their way around this almost phantasmagoric scene. A vase in the hands of Paul Daschel has been transformed into a piece of sculpture and a painting with 3-dimensional quality. The artist is the bridge between Nature and Allegory, and infused into this piece of art is the Artist’s hand, like a deity, acting as catalyst for our transport to a higher state. The artist brings on the night and transports the viewer. And like the bats, transported, we can fly in all directions. Viewed from above, the vase takes on an hour-glass shape. One is immediately reminded of the transitory nature of life and simultaneously of Nature’s timeless rhythm of the seasons, day and night. The hour-glass shaped vase is an allegory of Vanitas and our mortality; just as flowers fade, so shall we. By continuing to heed the Symbolist allegory, it is in the state of dreams, an altered state from our normal daily consciousness when we directly engage with Art, that we mortals can access the divine. The vase’s haunting beauty is like a reverie kissed by Morpheus.

Creator:
Paul Dachsel (1880, Czech)
Creation Year:
ca 1900
Dimensions:
Height: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)
Medium:
Porcelain
Movement & Style:
Art Nouveau
Period:
1900-1909
Condition:
Condition: Excellent. Some wearing of gold paint and fine craquelure normal for age.
Gallery Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU46736953372